Overview:
Palau has officially opened its first embassy in Australia, establishing a diplomatic presence in Canberra. President Surangel Whipps Jr. and a delegation of Palauan leaders attended the Oct. 12 ceremony, which brought together Australian officials, diplomats and members of the Palauan community.
CANBERRA, Australia (Oct. 12, 2026) — Palau officially opened its first embassy in Australia on Monday, marking a new step in strengthening diplomatic relations between the two countries.
President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. and First Lady Whipps led a Palauan delegation at the 4:15 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony in Canberra, where the new embassy is located.
The delegation included Sens. Sungino and Eldebechel; Minister Tmetuchl; Ngiwal Chief Elliot Uongruios and his wife, Legislator Akiko Udui; Gov. Rudimch and his wife, Associate Justice Honora Rudimch; and Koror legislators Rhinehart Silas and Devon Andreas.
Australian government officials attending the ceremony included Tobby Sharpe, Australia’s ambassador to Palau; Elizabeth Peak, deputy secretary and head of the Office of the Pacific at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs; and Chief of Protocol Jonathan Muir, according to a news release from Palau’s Embassy in Canberra.
Liang-Yu Wang, a representative of Taiwan’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia, also attended.
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Father Paul Nulley, parish administrator of St. Christopher’s Cathedral, blessed and dedicated the new embassy.
The embassy later hosted a dinner reception for about 100 guests, including Australian government officials, members of Canberra’s diplomatic corps and members of the Palauan community living in Australia, according to the embassy.
The opening establishes a formal diplomatic presence for Palau in Australia’s capital and provides a base for the country’s diplomatic engagement with the Australian government.